This week a news story out of Idaho grabbed everyone’s attention, and you’ll find no shortage of this story shared to a variety of social media groups, forums, etc. Pictures of a Ford Super Duty hanging off the side of a bridge held on with safety chains will do that.
So, how does a Ford Super Duty end up hanging off a bridge? According to the press release from the Idaho State Police Public Affairs, witnesses saw the driver of a 2004 F-350 pulling a 30-foot camp trailer lose control of the vehicle. The truck and camper swerved, hitting the right shoulder barrier, then went left until the truck was sliding on the left side guardrail. The truck then tipped over the bridge, with the camper remaining on the bridge but blocking both eastbound lanes.
Only the safety chain attached between the truck and the camper kept the truck from falling. To make the situation more harrowing, the Malad Gorge is approximately 80 to 100 feet below the bridge, which effectively left the truck hanging over an abyss.
To make a long story short, rescuers were able to save both human occupants as well as two dogs — and none had life-threatening injuries.
But the story could have had a very different ending if the owners hadn’t been using safety chains and attached them properly.
The importance of safety chains
After reading that account, two things stand out for most readers. One, the truck was dangling off the side of the bridge held on by the safety chains. Two, state troopers added more safety chains from a truck driver to keep the truck from falling into the gorge, a fall which likely would have killed everyone in the truck.
These safety chains did their job keeping the couple alive and adding the additional chains was a damn smart move by the police officers.
One other important note regarding safety chains: Make sure you cross them when hooking them up. This helps to create a “basket” for times if the hitch becomes loose and disengages.
The bottom line
If you have ever hooked up a trailer, you have often used safety chains, but likely never thought too much about their importance. This real-life example should change your mind.
Towing can be dangerous, and there are often crashes — just the same as with other vehicles. However, this is likely the most awe-striking crash we’ve seen in a while. And it goes to show that using the proper safety equipment properly is truly important.
What do you think? Have you seen a worse crash?
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